Samsung Galaxy Note 6 Release Date Set For Aug. 15 In US

The update to the Galaxy Note 5 (pictured here) will reportedly be launched on Aug. 15, a month ahead of the expected iPhone 7 launch. Photo: Reuters

Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy Note 6 a month ahead of the iPhone 7 as it seeks to gain an advantage over its main rival in the large-screen smartphone market.

According to Evan Blass, who has a long history of accurately breaking news about yet-to-be-announced smartphones, the Galaxy Note 6 will go on sale on Aug. 15 in the U.S., which is six days earlier than the Galaxy Note 5 went on sale last year.

Samsung has been pushing the release dates of its flagship smartphones forward over the last 12 months, with the Note 5 being released a full month earlier than the Note 4, while its Galaxy S7 smartphones were launched a month early this year compared to the release of the Galaxy S6 last year.

Samsung will be eager to give the Note 6 as much chance as possible to gain attention from the media and consumers alike before Apple releases its updated iPhone range, something that typically happens in September each year.

Last year Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 5 on Aug. 13 and is likely to hold a media event again this year the week before the new device goes on sale. Last year Samsung didn't sell its flagship big-screen smartphone in Europe, though it is unclear if this decision will be repeated for the Galaxy Note 6.

Rumors suggest the new device will have a 5.8-inch screen (slightly bigger than recent generations), may feature an iris scanner, have IP68 waterproof rating and could focus on the enterprise market with a new BlackBerry Hub-like app called Samsung Focus.